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#24 Evangeline Maid Bread

Growing up in Louisiana, there was only one brand of sliced bread that graced my mama’s counter top, and that was Evangeline Maid Bread. On every trip to town, I remember looking out the car window for the giant spinning Evangeline Maid sign, a fixture that’s been a constant part of the Lafayette landscape for as long as I can remember.

Cajuns and carbohydrates go together like white on rice (we like dat too), and there’s no better source of highly refined carbs than Evangeline Maid Bread. It’s some of the softest, fluffiest white bread you’ll ever taste – it’s the crack rock of the bread world. If you haven’t tried Evangeline Maid Bread before, I’d like to recommend that all you non Cajuns run out buy a loaf, but unfortunately it’s an exclusive product of south Louisiana, so you gotta come down to Acadiana to try some.

Now French bread may be perfect for po’boys, but there’s no better way to soak up gravy than with a slice of Evangeline Maid Bread. Sometimes I like to stuff it full of rice and gravy or potato salad for some hot carb on carb action (now we’re talkin’). When I’m down home, I don’t need no whole grain bread, bring on the refined white flour goodness, digestive system be damned.

One anonymous Evangeline Maid Bread enthusiast said it best, “It’s white bread, but it is the stuff dreams are made of, and it’s unavailable anywhere outside of south Louisiana. Some claim to be close, but a fresh loaf of Evangeline Maid is simply dreamy.” Now I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I always bring back a few loaves of this bread every time I go home.
So true. There is nothing close to this stuff anywhere else.
I remember that spinning bread billboard. It’s great to see a photo of it.

Hi Kitty, and other folks. Thank you for sharing your experiences of Cajuns and the Evangeline Maid Bread. It’s so interesting and I really enjoy to read about different kind of food that people like to eat everyday in such healthy diet.

OMG now I am CRAVING EM bread. That was the only bread I would eat until I was 13 and my mom moved be to the SF Bay Area in Cali.

My favorite way to eat it — Poor some Syrup (steens would be best) on a plate and a pat of butter on the side and sop up the syrup and butter
other way I would love to eat it was as a sandwich with fresh fried baby shrimp (caught by my grandpa a Delcambre Shimper) thats it just the bread and the shrimp.

As a kid, I went through a weird period of refusing to eat rice (school cafeteria trauma). When rice and gravy is part of your supper several nights a week, that can present a problem. I solved it by replacing the rice with Evangeline Maid bread. Mmm, good smothered round steak gravy over EM bread. Delicious!

Love it! When we first moved to Baton Rouge, my roommate and I went to the grocery store. We stood in the bread aisle for a good two minutes before my roommate turns to me and says: “Where’s the bread with the lady on it?” It was the worst part of moving.

making pb&j on e.m.b. is like dirty talk…
“i take the crunchy peanut butter and smear it all over the soft bread”
“and then”
“i take the strawberry jam and smear it all over the other slice”
“what then?”
“then i smoooooooooosh them together!”
“omg!”
“last – get a big glass of milk…..”
“oh i cant take no more – i want one!”
i totally gained 10 lbs in a month w/ 2 loaves and pbj!

I had the same experience as Jane when I moved to BR from Houma. I was at the store wondering where the EM was. Anytime my friends come visit they know to bring me a loaf of bread and when I go visit my last stop on the way home is the store to pick one up.

Hello my name is Alfred Francis I would like to apply to Evangeline Maid Bakery. Im a GREAT worker and ready to learn new things. I work well with others. Also Im 20yrs old and looking to work, please email me at thefrancis22@yahoo.com or call 337-330-3091 Thank you

Is there anywhere in Austin, TX to get Evangeline Maid bread? I have never found any other bread to compare to it. The stuff they sell over here gets hard before you can eat half the loaf. I would commit mayhem for a case of it.

I went to Cathedral Carmel and my Daddy worked at EM Bakery (both on St. John Street) Nothing better than getting picked up from school and going straight to the bakery for some warm bread, right off the rack, no wrapper and a carton of milk. The smell of the bakery, a block away was heavenly. Living in Dallas now, I miss Lafayette and many things, including that wonderful white bread. ANYbody who comes to visit from home, knows to bring EM bread in the care package of South La. goodies. Great blog!

My Father worked for EM in Lake Charles and when he had to drive to Lafayette to pick up bread for the warehouse, I would drive with him. We would grab a loaf before it hit the slicer and then stop at a little store for some cold milk. I remember sitting in the truck drinking milk and eating warm bread. What wonderful memory of time spent with my Dad.

I am born and raised Texan, and a proud as most of us are. But one thing Texas doesnt have is Evangeline Maid bread, which is by far the best there is. It is the softest piece of heavenly bread I have ever had, none can match it. My mother is from New Iberia, which is where my brothers and Pop live. Ever since I was a little girl I have LOVED that bread and a loaf has always come home with from a visit. Whether it was grandparents or brothers that came to visit they always brought me a loaf of bread. Even to this day, any family member coming this way from New Iberia is instructed to bring me bread. My brother came in this weekend and brought the treasured loaf. Oh Evangeline Maid bread how this Texan loves you!

I’m in Baton Rouge and CANNOT buy Evangeline Maid in this part of South LA….I have to cross the Atchafalaya and either get some when I’m visiting family in Lafayette or the in-laws in Franklin or sometimes on our way back from Cocodrie at the Rouses in Houma. I buy two. One to eat immediately and one to freeze. It’s even better thawed out of the freezer than the fresh loafs we have locally. Mmmmm….need to make a trip to Laffy…..unless there’s somewhere closer, but I’ve done some research and can’t find it anywhere. I was teased after Hurricane Katrina….My Fresh Pickens carried it for a little while.

Nothing like a good fresh boudin sandwich between two fresh slices of Evangeline Maid:)
My husband says he can remember a little jingle that went something like
“Evangeline Maid, best bread in town.
I can even eat it when I’m upside down!”

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season, with prosperity, good health and fortune, to enjoy eating a lot of fine food in such Evangeline Maid Bread, and much more that you can find them, and be blessing.

My grandfather retired from Evangeline maid bread, when i was a young girl…..he gave me a barbie that has evangeline bread on it.I recently found it in a packed away box and was wondering if you guys knew the story behind the doll or maybe how much it is worth. i was told there were only a few made like them.My grandfather has long passed on, but the doll has memories and is dear to me!

my whole family loves evangiline, the bread doesnt crumble when you touch it. and when you eat it. it doesnt taste old and stale. but we wont be able to afford to eat your wonderful bread anylonger. it cost too much and we have to cut back. but i will look for coupons so that way we can get evangiline bread when ever we can.

FYI: You *can* freeze Evangeline Maid bread and when thawed? Chere…it tastes just as great as it did when it was put in the freezer. They must’ve slipped some sort of QF component in dat lovely stuff. Haha! Now dat’s Cajun as it gets. I like to dip my Evangeline Maid bread with gumbo and potato salad. Yummay!!

I live in north Louisiana where you can’t even get it up here. Well, at least you can get Community Coffee up here, but barely. Phew!

I either get my relatives to buy me loaves of bread and ship them to me overnight, and then I freeze them. I’ve kept them frozen for up to 3-4 months without any freezer burn issues. So, if you live out of state or out of the south Louisiana area, there is hope to keeping it as fresh as the day you bought it.

You may not have noticed before, but if you look closely at the loaves of bread on your grocery store shelves you’ll see that they are sealed with twist ties in a variety of colors. The colors vary not only by brand, but also within the same brand of bread. Most bread companies use varying colors of twist ties to track the freshness of bread.

For example, bread that was baked on Monday may be sealed with a blue tie; Tuesday may be green, Wednesday orange… etc. The color coding makes it much easier for employees to remove stale loaves and replace them with fresh ones. It is faster to look at the color of the twist tie than it is to read the date code on each bag.

As a consumer you can use this information to get the freshest loaf. However, the color coding system is not consistent between brands, but some people claim the most common system is the following:
• Monday: Blue twisty
• Tuesday: Green twisty
• Wednesday: (No bread delivered)
• Thursday: Red twisty
• Friday: White twisty
• Saturday: Yellow twisty
• Sunday: (No bread delivered)

I am from houma Louisiana and now live in baton rouge and I can’t get your bread here but every time I go home I bring bread back with me and they all can’t get enough of it so when are you gonna deliver it to br

I was raised in La but been away for alot of years and Im back home and would like to take my nieces n nephews to do some of the things I got to enjoy as a kid.
Is the bakery still open for people to tour??

I am originally from Philadelphia, pa. I was Happy-happy-happy when I caught a Tastykake from this years Christmas parade. upon viewing your web site I noticed you sell a variety of Tastykake products. I am very pleased to shop local for a product that I grew up on and don’t have to travel 1500 miles to get it!
Gloria :)

I love Evangeline Maid Bread but I wish your company would make a extra small loaf for people who live alone.i like fresh bread and it goes stale after a few days. I think a lot of people would buy the smaller loafs, I hear lots of people talk about this when I am shopping. Thank you.

I agree Bonnie, matter of fact I recently purchased the last loaf of EM I will ever buy. I am past tired of spending 3.39+tax to eat 1 sandwich (2slices) then throw the loaf away. I grew up on EM bread so to me there is no other. However, lately I have found the loaf is already stale and has a hard crusty texture when I purchase it. The texture is no longer soft even on the same day of purchasing it. Sorry guys but to me that is most disgusting. Yesterday I ate a sandwich at a friends house the bread was so soft and fresh but upon inquiry I learned it was surfresh. She swears it stays fresh up to 3 days after she purchases it. My plan is to buy surfresh next time I shop. I am hoping she wasn’t fibbing :)